Shrimp and Cholesterol

Shrimp and cholesterol

Many people love shrimp and cannot get enough of them. They have a good reason for this as shrimp are very delicious. However, there has been some concern about shrimp and cholesterol. Shrimp contains an unusually high amount of this artery clogging substance. This comes as a huge surprise to some people, as shrimp is also considered to be a good food for people on a diet. Truly, there are many health benefits to including shrimp in your diet; as long as they are not fried. Many people who found out about the high cholesterol in shrimp have excluded them from their diet. Yet, this drastic measure may not be needed.

Of course, their concerns about shrimp and cholesterol are understandable. Shrimp contains two-thirds of the total amount of cholesterol that serves as a recommended limit for daily consumption. Considering the other foods that might be included as part of a healthy diet, the portion of cholesterol consumption that is devoted to shrimp can be way too much for some. In order to stay within their daily limits one would have to watch the other things that they eat very carefully and choose foods that contain little or no cholesterol. This can be a big hassle, one that many would like to avoid.

But, of course, ignoring cholesterol levels can be very dangerous. High cholesterol can lead to heart problems along with many other very serious conditions. For this reason many very careful dieters have been disheartened to discover the link between shrimp and cholesterol. Shrimp happens to be one of their favorite foods and they want the freedom to consume it when they will. These people may be glad at some recent findings regarding shrimp and cholesterol, although the findings are a little questionable.

It has been discovered that people who consume shrimp on a regular basis do not have higher cholesterol then their non-shrimp eating counterparts. A study was performed in which a group was told to consume shrimp on a regular basis. Their cholesterol levels did not increase. Their total cholesterol calculations were normal. Researchers have concluded that even though shrimp does contain a higher level of cholesterol it does not raise cholesterol in the blood. Now shrimp lovers can have a sigh of release.

The only problem researchers are having with the study is that they have yet to discover why shrimp does not have a negative effect on total cholesterol calculations. To them it remains a mystery. They think it is because all the health benefits of shrimp serve to cancel out the negative potential of high cholesterol levels. Shrimp is actually very good for the body. It has actually been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Those who are concerned about shrimp and cholesterol can put their worries to rest.

One thing that I believe is important for me to add to the end of this article is the fact that shrimp has a lot less cholesterol than eggs in general. For that reason, I don't think shrimp is the worst possible food to eat if you have cholesterol problems.